Mining car



Aug. 18, 1970 g:. V-.-OSBORI\IE MINING CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed A ri 1, 1968 INVENTOR CHARLESV. OSBORNE BY W ATTORNEYS Aug. 18, 1970 c. VQO'S'BORNE' MINING CAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1, 1968 INVENTOR CHARLES v. OSBORNE ATTORNEYS Aug. 18, 1970 C. v. @BQRNE 35245.59

MINING CAR Filed April 1, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v INVENTOR CHARLES V. OSBORNE BY FWW v ATTORNEYS United States patent 3,524,559 Patented Aug. 18, 1970 3,524,559 MINING CAR Charles V. Osborne, Wise Manufacturing and Equipment Co., Inc., Wise, Va. 24293 Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,646 Int. Cl. B601! 1/00 US. Cl. 214-82 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to mining vehicles and more particularly to mining vehicles of the low clearance type.

Mining vehicles of the type to which the present invention is addressed are often operated in coal mines where the overhead clearanceis at a minimum. Unloading such vehicles in this environment presents particular problems because in many instances the clearance is so small that the vehicle cannot be tipped on any axis a sufficient distance to effect unloading. Unless, therefore, an unloading apparatus is available which is mounted externally of the vehicle at some fixed location, it obviously becomes desirable to provide a self-contained unloading apparatus which is operative at any location which will accommodate the vehicle itself.

Accordingly it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a self-contained unloading apparatus for a low clearance mine vehicle which does not increase the overall height of thevehicle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, the object of the present invention is achieved by providing in a low clearance mine vehicle a false bottom and plow member, both of which' are reciprocable with respect to the main bottom of the vehicle. The plow and the false'bottom are interconnected witha plural section telescopic hydraulic cylinder in such fashion that while the false bottom is reciprocable from one end of the vehicle to the other, the plow member reciprocates with the false bottom until it reaches the end of the vehicle and then the plow reciprocates further with respect to the false bottom to completely unload the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a vehicle in accordance with the present invention with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation partially in section showing the position of the plow and false bottom corresponding to a fully loaded condition of the vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the extreme unloading position of the false bottom;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the extreme unloading position of the plow member;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on the lines 6-45 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the hydraulic actuating means for the false bottom and plow members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a mine vehicle in accordance withthe present invention is illustrated which includes a frame having a bottom 10 and side walls 12 and 14 supported on ground-engaging wheels 16.

The false bottom 18 is substantially coextensive in width with the rigid bottom 10 but longitudinally of the vehicle it is considerably shorter than the rigid bottom 10. The plow member 20 which is similar in shape to the blade of a common bulldozer is of a length substantially coextensive with the width of the false bottom 18.

The false bottom and the plow are mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of the vehicle and a multi-section telescopic hydraulic cylinder 22 interconnects these members with the vehicle body in order to provide a means for positively effecting the desired reciprocation of these members.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 for a description of the interrelated operation of the false bottom and plow member, FIG. 3 shows all parts of the vehiclein the position which they would occupy when the vehicle is fully loaded. In FIG. 4, the same parts are shown but following the initial operation of the hydraulic cylinder which has now moved the false bottom and plow to a position where the outermost end of the false bottom is substantially aligned with the outermost edge of the verlcle. The plow 20 has been moved by a corresponding distance but in this figure it has not yet begun its final unloading movement which sweeps it over the false bottom 18.

In FIG. 5, the final unloading position of the parts is shown and it will be noted that the plow moved completely over the false bottom in order to effect complete unloading of the vehicle.

FIG. 7 shows the details of the telescoping hydraulic cylinder 22. One end of the cylinder 22 is rigidly but pivotally attached to the frame of the vehicle as, for example, by means of a pin 24 which extends through aligned openings in a member 26 attached to the cylinder 22 and a pair of flanges 28 and 30 which are secured to the bed of the vehicle. Concentrically arranged within the cylinder 22 are three pistons 32, 34 and 36, the innermost one of which 36 is attached at its opposite end to the plow blade 20. The largest piston 32 includes an outer skirt portion 320: which extends along the outer surface of the cylinder 22. Piston 34 includes a similar portion 34a which extends along the outer surface of 32a. The skirtiportion 34a of piston 34 includes integral oppositely disposed lugs 38 which are interconnected with the false bottom 18 by linkage rods 40 and 42 shown most clearly in FIG. 1. A similar pair of lugs 44 are attached to a sleeve 46 which surrounds the skirt 34a. The lugs 44 are connected to the plow blade 20 by means of a forked linkage arms 48 and 50, also as shown most clearly in FIG. 1.

In order to support the actuating mechanism in its extended positions, a pair of wheels 52 are mounted on an axle 54 which in turn is rigidly attached to the underside of skirt portion 34a. These wheels simply ride along the rigid bottom of the vehicle as the actuating means for the plow and the false bottom are reciprocated thereover.

Hydraulic pressure from a source not shown but preferably carried on a motorized tractor vehicle which tows the vehicle of the present invention in actual practice, is connected to the inlet 60 of the cylinder 22 in order to effect an unloading operation and to the inlet 62 in order to return the parts to the position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 7. Conventional hydraulic controls may be used for this purpose and they form no part of the present invention.

With the parts of the actuating means in the positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, application of hydraulic pressure to the inlet 60 results in initial movement of the largest diameter piston 32 together with its skirt 32a and this action continues until the limit of travel of piston 32 is reached. Following the limit of travel of piston 32, piston 34 then begins to move along with the skirt portion 34a until its limit of travel has been reached. The final position corresponding to the end of travel of pistons 32 and 34 is illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings which shows the false bottom at its outer limit of travel. Continued application of pressure at the inlet 60 lastly results in movement of the piston 36. When piston 36 has reached the end of its path of travel, the position of the parts is as shown in FIG. 5 which corresponds to a completely unloaded condition of the vehicle.

Return of the actuating mechanism to its initial condition is eifected by removing the source of pressure from the inlet 60 and applying it instead to the inlet 62 which simply reverses the process outlined above.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that there is herein shown and disclosed a new and useful form of unloading apparatus for low clearance mining vehicles. While a preferred embodiment has been herein shown and disclosed, applicant nevertheless a longitudinal portion of said rigid bottom and v mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of said rigid bottom;

a plow blade coextensivelin width with said rigid bottom and mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of said false and rigid bottoms; and

a single hydrauliccylinder mounted in fixed longitudinal relation to said rigid bottom and having a plurality of concentrically arranged pistons therein connected to said plow blade and said'false bottom whereby when said vehicle is in loaded condition and fluid pressure is admitted to said cylinder, said plow blade and said false bottom are first moved as a unit until said false bottom is positioned with its trailing edgesubstantially aligned with the trailing edge of said rigid bottom and thereafter said plow blade is moved over said'false bottom to'comp y pty the vehicle. A vehicle as defined by claim 1 including'a pairof wheels supporting the movable end of said hydraulic cylinder on said rigid bottom. 1 I I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,007,589 11/1961 Galloway 214-82 3,071,264 1/1963 Totaro et al. 2l482 3,273,728 9/1966 Kelso 214-82 3,349,931 10/1967 Wagner 214'82 

